Gate-opener for railway-cars.



No. 728,639. PATENTED MAY 19, 1903.

F. WEIMAR. A

GATE OPENER FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLIOATIOR ruin) mm. s, 1902. no monnn. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

l HE No. 728,639. PATENTED MAY 19, 1903. P. WEIMAR. GATE O-PENER FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 6, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

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lIl IIIIIIIIA lllllllllllllllllll ulllllll IIHIIIH I k Hlll UNITED STATES Patented May 19, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRED WEIMAR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GUSTOF GRONLUND, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GATE-OPEN ER FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 7 8.63 da ed May 1903- Application filed December 5, 1902. $erial No. 133.949. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, FRED WEIMAR, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gate-Openers for Railway-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in gate-openers for railway-cars; and its object is to produce a device of this class which can be operated by the engineer in the cab or motor-car, so as to open all the gates upon a given side of the railroad-train. The necessity for a device of this class arises principally on suburban trains in large cities, where as a measure of safety it is necessary to have the gates on the platforms closed except when the car is stationary.

The object of my invention is to provide means on the engine or motor-car for starting in motion a comparatively weak force on each platform,the means in itself being barely sufficient to move the gate and the starting force actuated from the engine being disconnected from the gate while it is being opened and closed.

To these and certain minor ends my invention consists in certain novel features of construction, which are clearly shown in the accompanying drawings and described in this specification.

In the aforesaid drawings, Figure 1 is an end view of a car-platform, the gates thereon being provided with my improved mechanism, one gate being shown open and the other closed. Fig. 2 is a view of the gates and railings shown in Fig. 1, but looking in the opposite direction-that is, from the platform, the latter being in cross-section. Fig. 3 is a section in the line 3 3 of Fig. 1 looking downward. Fig. 4 is a section in the line 4 4, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the operatinglever. Fig. 6 is a section in the line 6 6 of Fig. 5 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig.-7 is a section in the line 7 7 of Fig. 5 looking in the direction of the arrow, and Fig. 8 is a section in the line 8 8 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, Ais a platform at the end of a car.

B B are the railings, which ordinarilyextend along the ends of the platform, and C C are gates, which are suitably hinged to the railings B B and adapted to swing back against them.

Inasmuch as the operation of the device on the two sides of the car is exactly the same and inasmuch as the sections are all taken through the device on the right-hand side of Fig. 1, a detailed description of this device only will be given, it being understood that the device on the opposite side is the same.

On the railing B is secured a plate D, provided with a horizontal slot at. In the slot d lies one end 6 of a connecting-rod E, the opposite end of which is secured to the gate C at a slight distance from the hinge. A bell: crank lever F is pivoted on the inner end of the plateD, the lever being provided at one end with a handle f. The opposite end of the lever F is connected by a link G with the connectingrod E. It will be noted that swinging the lever F in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2 will by exerting force on the gate through the medium of the link G and connecting-rod E open the gate. It will be further noted that when the gate is closed the joint between the link and the lever is swung past the line connecting the pivot of the link on-the connecting-rod and the pivot of the lever on the plate D, and so locks the gate that it cannot be opened by pushing upon it. 7

On the railing B on the opposite side from the gate is pivoted an operating-lever H, the form of which is clearly shown in Fig. 5. This operating-lever is preferably made of a single plate of metal having two arms at substantially right angles to one another, each of the arms being provided with a weight hat its extremity. A slot h runs through the entire member, and in this slot runsarolling weight W. This weight it is preferably made as shown in Fig. 7 and provided with an annular groove about the circumference. An aircylinder I is pivoted on the car-platform im mediately below the pivotal point of the operating-lever H, so as to be capable of a considerable angular movement. Within this cylinder is a piston '5, whose piston-rod t is pivotally connected to the operating-lever H by a pin W. A pipe J is adapted to supply compressed air to the cylinder, and the cylinder I is provided with a vent 11 so that the piston can only be forced up a certain distance, this distance being such that the opcrating-lever just reaches the position wherein the two weights h h are in the same horizontal line. On the plate D is pivoted a bellcrank starting-lever K, one end of which, 70, is adapted to be engaged by asmall lug Won the operating-lever H and the other end of which, it, is adapted to come into contact with the bell-crank lever F and raise its connection with the link G beyond the line connecting the pivots of such members.

The operation of the entire device will now be described. When it is desired to open the gates, a quick blast of air is turned into the cylinder. This forces up the piston 13 and causes the operating-lever H to swing upon its pivot. When the gate is closed, it will be noted, the rolling weight k is at the lowest end of the operating-lever. The blast of air so turned into the cylinder escapes through the vent when the piston reaches the end of its stroke and the ends of the operating-lever are in the same horizontal line and the rolling weight rolls to the center of the slot. The momentum of the lever and weight carries them past the center, and one end of the lever strikes the projecting end 6 of the connecting-rod E. The weight of the lever and the momentum thereof pull upon the connecting-rod and upon the gate, the lug h on the operating-lever meanwhile engaging the bellcrank lever K and lifting the link and lever F, so as to unlock the gate. The gate swings when actuated by the weight of the operating-lever until the lower arm reaches a position slightly below horizontal, when the rolling weight runs out to the end of that arm. The advantage of this rolling weight lies in the fact that just at the moment when the position of the parts is such that force is applied least advantageously to the gate an additional weight is placed uponthe end of the lever, which increases the force. It will be noted that there is at no time any force acting on the gate other than the weight and momentum of the operating-lever, and this force is so slight that if a person is caught by the gate he cannot possibly be injured. 7

It is obvious that the gates are closed in exactly the same Way in which they are opened. The same blast of air is turned into the cylinder, the operating-lever is swung in the same way, but of course in the opposite direction, and the gates are closed. The handle of the lever F is not provided for ordinary use, but is intended merely as an auxiliary, so that, if desired, the gates can be moved from the platform.

I realize that considerable variation is possible in the details of this construction, and

I do not, therefore, desire to limit myself to the specific form herein described.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a car-platform and a gate swinging thereon and adapted to close one side of the same, of a connecting-rod pivoted to said gate, a weighted lever pivoted upon said platform swinging in a vertical plane and adapted, when swinging in either direction from a vertical line extending through its pivot to engage with said connecting-rod and move said gate, and means for swinging said lever past the vertical position, whereby the weight and momentum of the lever alone operates the gate, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a platform, and a gate pivoted thereon, of a connecting-rod pivoted to said gate and having a suitable projecting portion, a two-armed weighted lever pivoted on said platform one of said arms being on each side of the projecting portion on the connecting-rod, and means for swinging the lever over the center of gravity, whereby the lever engages the connecting-rod and its weight and momentum alone swings the gate, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a platform and a gate, of a connecting-rod pivoted to said gate and having a suitable projecting portion, an operating-lever having two arms at right angles, the arms being on opposite sides of the projecting portion on said connecting-rod, an air-cylinder and piston connected to the operating-lever and adapted to swing said lever over its center of gravity and bring it into engagement with said connecting-rod, whereby the weight and momentum of said lever actuates the gate, substantially as described.

4:. In a device of the class described, the combination with a platform and gate pivoted thereon, of a connecting-rod pivoted to said gate, a projecting portion on said con necting-rod, an operating-lever having two arms substantially at right angles to one another, on opposite sides of said projecting portion a weight movable along the length of said lever and means for swinging said lever over its center of gravity to bring one of its arms into engagement with the projecting portion, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination with a platform and a gate pivoted thereon, of a connecting-rod having a suitable projecting portion pivoted to said gate, a hand-lever pivoted on the plat form, a link connecting the hand-lever and connecting-rod adapted when the gate is closed, to swing over the dead-center and lock the gate, an operating-lever adapted, when swung, to engage the projecting portion on the connecting-rod, means for swinging the operating-lever over the center of gravity, and means whereby the motion of said operating-lever shall move said link over the deadcenter to unlock the gate, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a platform and a gate pivoted thereon, of a connecting-rod having a suitable projecting portion pivoted to said gate, a hand-lever pivoted on the platform a link connecting the hand-lever and connecting-rod adapted, when the gate is closed, to swing over the dead-center and lock the gate, an operating-lever adapted, when swung, to engage the projecting portion on the connecting-rod, means for swinging the operating-lever over the center of gravity, a

lug on the operating-lever, and a lever adapt- 

